Nutrition

Massive anthrax vaccination underway in five regions

Ms Kimberly Rosen(right) presenting the vaccines to vertinary officials

About one million animals across the five regions in the Northern part of the country are receiving anthrax vaccination.

The United States (U.S) Government, through the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), donated 100,000 doses of the vaccine to support government’s anthrax vaccination campaigns across the country.

The intervention is expected to build immunity of mostly livestock against the infection and prevent possible spread to other animals and humans.

Launching the campaign at Savelugu in the Northern Region, the USAID/Ghana Mission Director, Ms. Kimberly Rosen, said anthrax has a high transmission risk to humans which is why vaccination must be prioritised.

“Anthrax does not only threaten human life; when it destroys livestock, it also threatens economic prosperity and food security.”

In May 2023, Ghana experienced an outbreak of anthrax, affecting six districts in the Upper East Region. A total of 97 animals died from the outbreak. Thirteen suspected human anthrax cases were also detected, with one death recorded.

Dr Emmanuel Cudjoe, Chief Veterinary Officer, in a speech read on his behalf, said the vaccination was crucial to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s livestock and communities.

“Anthrax is a deadly disease that not only poses a grave risk to the health of our animals but also threatens the livelihoods of our farmers and the safety of our food supply. But today, we stand united in our resolve to confront this threat head-on.”

Anthrax is a serious, potentially life-threatening infectious disease that is passed from animals to humans.

To prevent future outbreaks, yearly animal vaccination is recommended, hence the launch of the campaign.

By Abigail Annoh

Nutrition

Dietary management of memory loss

Chocolate

In this new chapter, we will be discussing how we can manage memory loss with our diet.

Some people get more forgetful with age. It may take longer to learn new things, remember familiar faces and words as well as personal belongings.

Memory loss can be mild or serious. Serious memory lapses affect ability to do daily activities like driving, shopping, or handling of money among others.

Below are some pointers of serious memory loss;

●Asking the same questions over and over again

●Getting lost in familiar places

●Being unable to follow directions

●Getting very confused about time, people, and places

●Self-neglect such as eating poorly, not bathing, or being unsafe

See a doctor if you are worried about your memory lapses or those of a loved one. You also can do many things to make your memory last.

Research has shown a great improvement in memory loss with appropriate diet.

Foods to consume

●Foods rich in antioxidants (vitamins C, E, and beta carotene) such as; oranges, pineapples, blue berries and kiwi.

●Complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, brown rice, and wheat bran.

●Epicatechin rich foods such as; grapes, blueberries and chocolate.

●Iron rich foods such as; beans, fortified cereals, nuts, and soy bean.

●Monounsaturated fatty acid rich foods such as almonds, avocado, and walnuts.

Lifestyle modification

●Having hobbies

●Getting pets

●Spending time with friends, family and loved ones.

●Joining support groups

●Reduce alcohol intake

●Cessation of smoking

In conclusion, our memory largely makes us who we are; imagine not remembering your own name! We can stray farther away from such a fate by applying the diet and lifestyle above, so that we can always remember who we are and who/what we love.

The writer Dr. Bernice Korkor Asare is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult.

“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”

E-mail: info@holistichealthconsult.org